


Two halves hearts make one heart

by Whitenight



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Cross-posted on asianfanfic, Fluff, How Do I Tag, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-07 21:36:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20462915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whitenight/pseuds/Whitenight
Summary: Sunggyu and Woohyun just got dumped, they crossed their paths, befriends each other, and simultaneously find peace in each other's presence





	1. ++ 001 ++

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from asianfanfic under profile named wooaegi

**[Sunggyu]**

“I’m sorry Sunggyu, I don’t think there’s a spark between us anymore.”

Sunggyu doesn’t say anything for a moment, too stunned to actually reply. Junho hasn’t called him ‘Sunggyu’ since the few first years of their relationship, it has always been ‘Gyu’ or any other sweet endearments. What could have possibly make him change so suddenly?

Wait no, it’s not suddenly.

There has been something different about him for the past few months. His eyes doesn’t hold love in them anymore whenever they are seeing Sunggyu’s. Sunggyu should have realised by then.

“Why?”

“To tell you the truth, I’ve met a new person.”

Of course. A new person. That makes sense.

Sunggyu had caught him once, having sex with another person in their house – on their bed, but he was foolish enough to accept him back after Junho begged him, saying he can’t live without Sunggyu and that the incident was only a fling that had gone too far.

Sunggyu didn’t believe him back then. He didn’t think it was Junho’s first time; but he had loved him.

Lie. Everything is a lie.

“Leave.” Sunggyu’s voice quaver.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said leave Ahn Junho. Get out of my house! Out!” A streak of tear starts to fall down his face. He slams the bathroom door as hard as he can, but it does nothing to relieve the pain in his chest.

Junho doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t knock on the door. He doesn’t even say sorry.

He left.

Leaving Sunggyu alone weeping on the floor of their bathroom, heart being broken to pieces.

**[Woohyun]**

“I think it’s better if we quit this Woohyun.”

“What do you mean by quitting this?”

Nina looks at the silver ring on her finger for a few seconds before pulling it out and dropping it into Woohyun’s palm. “You know what I meant Woohyun-ah.”

Woohyun stares at the ring in his palm. “I don’t understand.”

“You don’t love me.”

“What? You’re mistaken. I do love you.” Woohyun’s voice thinning, along with his conscience.

“As a friend.” Nina corrects him.

Woohyun shakes his head to deny. “We’ve been together for so long noona, since highschool.” He talks firmer this time, but it doesn’t sound less unconvincing to Nina.

“See, you can’t even call me by my name.”

Woohyun dips his head in guilt. That’s true: he can’t lose the noona title no matter how much he try, it doesn’t feel right to him to call her only by name.

“I don’t hate you Woohyun-ah, but we aren’t meant to be. You don’t love me like that; you know that too.”

Woohyun doesn’t argue. Her words pierced into him like a knife.

“Let’s just stay as friend. You know I will always be that for you.” She says, before finally leaving, out of Woohyun’s house.

Woohyun doesn’t want to be _that_ with Nina. But now he’s not her lover either.

He’s just nobody.

**[Sunggyu]**

“Hyung, can I come in?”

Sunggyu doesn’t answer, because Hoya would have just enter Sunggyu’s room anyway.

Hoya does.

Sunggyu is lying on the bed, facing the wall, the blanket is over his head. Sunggyu has been caving in his own room for a week now and Hoya doesn’t want to see him like this anymore. Hoya comes closer and yanks the cover down, “Hyung, you can’t keep being like this.”

Sunggyu turns, and looks at the younger. The grave mood he’s being in is affecting Hoya too, and Myungsoo, and Dongwoo. He knows that much, but he can’t do nothing about it. He hates it that he’s being weak because of that bastard Ahn Junho. Sunggyu hates that he can’t stop being sad. He hates that he loved him.

Sunggyu is the fool here.

Sunggyu sits up, smiling weakly. “I’m sorry Hoya.”

“Don’t say something you don’t mean hyung.”

Sunggyu averts his eyes from keep looking. Hoya can read him like an open book. He’s known Hoya since elementary school. He’s been there for him when his family thrown him out for being gay. He’s been there for his every happy days and his every grief times. Hoya has always being the brother he didn’t have.

“Sorry not sorry hyung but I’m glad you broke up with Junho. I’ve never liked him. I can sense something weird about the man the first time you introduced him to us.” Hoya’s face morphed into something that can only be recognised as hate, grunge and disgust. All in one. That’s how mad Hoya is right now.

“Hyung knows that too Hoya.” He says, being in verge of tear again with the mention of his ex-boyfriend.

“I know you know hyung. I just wish that you would stop blaming yourself for this and forget that bastard. He never deserves you.”

A bitter smile stretches on Sunggyu’s face. “I’ll try okay.”

“You have to!” Hoya frowns. “I hate to see you like this.”

Sunggyu doesn’t answer. He hates being like this too.

Hoya sighs after a few minutes of receiving silent treatment from Sunggyu. “Anyway, that’s not what I want to tell you when I came in here.”

Sunggyu’s ears perk up. “What was it then?”

“Let’s go out hyung.”

“Where?”

Hoya shifts so that one of his legs is resting properly on the bed. He’s smiling so wide now – he looks like a puppy. “Remember that photo exhibition Dongwoo and Myungsoo has been talking about? They’ve fixed the date. It’s this weekend. Aren’t you excited for them?”

“Really? I haven’t check my phone.”

Hoya snorts. “I know. You left it in the living room.”

Sunggyu scratches his hair, (his unwashed hair!) “Uhh sorry?”

Hoya makes a face. “Don’t say sorry! Let’s go to their exhibition!”

Sunggyu is contemplating for a brief moment. He doesn’t want to leave the cocoon that is his bed, but this exhibition is the proof to Dongwoo and Myungsoo hard-works, and Sunggyu is very proud of them for that. So he should go. (That would mean a world to them.) (And he wouldn’t be able to move on from his heartbreak if he continued to moping like this.)

“Okay,” he says. “Let’s go to the exhibition.”

Hoya’s face after listening to Sunggyu’s answer is probably the brightest since he came in.

“Yes! Thank you hyung!” he hugs the older guy out of joy. Sunggyu has been rejecting his offer for a week and now he has agreed to go to the exhibition, Hoya can’t be happier.

Sunggyu chuckles lightly. It’s the most cheery he has been in a week. “Stop being dramatic. It’s not like I accept your proposal or something.”

“Well it’s as good as you did.” Hoya says once he pulls back. “Speaking of, when would you marry me hyung?”

“Where would you put your Dongwoo then?”

Dongwoo is Hoya’s lover. They’ve been in a relationship for 5 years now, and they’re still going strong.

“Shh it can be our secret.” Hoya puts a finger on his lips as if he’s telling a secret.

Sunggyu mimics his action and they laugh while still holding the fingers on their lips. It was their own, inner joke: talking about marrying each other if they’re destined to be single in their 30-ish, which of course, just a joke because Hoya and Dongwoo loves each other, and Sunggyu, well, Sunggyu is currently single.

It still makes Hoya happy though to see Sunggyu smiling and Sunggyu knows that, so he doesn’t stop; he smiles for Hoya. Because he’s thankful for the younger, for still taking care of him despite being thrown out almost every time during the week.

“By the way hyung, you should wash your hair.”

Sunggyu throws him a dirty look.

**[Woohyun]**

“Nina noona broke up with me.”

“Why?”

“She says that I don’t love her.”

“Finally someone said it.”

Woohyun frowns. “What do you mean by that Sungyeol?”

Sungyeol grins. “Haven’t I told you before that you’re incapable of loving people?”

“But you told me to ask Nina noona out?”

“I did, yes.”

Woohyun glares, but also because he’s confused. “Why?”

“To prove that I was right of course.” He says as if it’s nothing.

Woohyun wants to be angry at the statement but he can’t. Not at Sungyeol because honestly, he used to think the same; he wants to prove Sungyeol wrong.

“I thought I like her.”

“You _thought_. There’s a different between thinking and knowing.” Sungyeol lifts his brows up and down tauntingly.

Woohyun purses his lips. He doesn’t want to admit it but Sungyeol has a point. Maybe he is incapable of loving people. Well not in a romantic way at least.

“Maybe you are right. Maybe I _am_ incapable of loving someone.”

“Of course I’m right. Lee Sungyeol you are a fucking genius!” He pats on his own head.

Woohyun is this close to strangle the tall guy, if not for Sungjong entering the kitchen with the breaking news.

“Woohyun hyung! Sungyeol hyung! There’s been a new order. It’s a huge one!”

Woohyun gawks, his hands halting. (They have been wrapped around Sungyeol’s neck just a moment ago.) Just in case that he hasn’t heard the youngest right, he asks him again. “What did you just say Sungjong?”

“We. Just. Got. A. Big. Order.” Sungjong shouts with much enthusiasm.

Woohyun and Sungyeol turn their heads in the same time to look into each other’s eyes, screaming loudly in disbelief and hugging each other at the confirmation – both already forgotten their fight before. Sungjong can’t even be bothered to roll his eyes for he’s still in euphoria at their newest order that he joins in the group hug.

It’s their first big order after all.

Only after they calm down from the joy that Sungjong fills in the baker and the baker’s assistant over the detail of the order. It turns out that they have to finish 300 orders of cupcakes and cookies for a photo exhibition that will be held this weekend. They would have to deliver and set up for the event as well per request. They run through the email together to pick up every needed detail for the order, and after dealing with the prices and payment carefully, only then they confirm it.

“I can’t believe this.” Sungyeol says at some point of the day.

Woohyun can’t keep himself from smiling all day that his cheeks hurt.

“Me neither bud.”

When he first started off the business over three years ago with his best friends – the Lee brothers, he has had imagined this day: to receive their first big order, to be successful and big and known.

The last wish hasn’t been crossed off the list but he’s sure this order is only the start for them – their life changer. All of their hard-works to build their own goodwill for their bakery is going to be paid off now.

He can barely remember all the things with Nina noona at the end of the day with how busy they’ve becoming.

The weekend comes faster than Woohyun wishes for. They have managed to finish the order in record time by sacrificing their sleep time over the weekdays. Everything has gone exactly as planned but unfortunately his friends won’t be able to do the delivery with him.

“Can you do it alone buddy?”

“Yeah don’t worry about it Yeollie.”

“I’m not worried about you. It’s my babies I’m worried for.”

Babies. He meant the cupcakes.

Woohyun snorts. “Wow I feel so loved right now.”

“Kidding, I’m worried about you too you know. You had lesser rest than us.”

“I know.” Woohyun replies.

He knows Sungyeol is genuinely worried about him. He has been for the past 10 years of their friendship. Sometimes Sungyeol acts like Woohyun’s mother more than… Woohyun’s mother. He’s been taking care of Woohyun’s meal and his rest time (and also his dating life). Woohyun has pointed it out a few times before: that Sungyeol worried worse than his own mother, which sucks because Sungyeol has been proudly taking in all the insult as praises.

“Sorry that we couldn’t help you.”

“It’s okay. Just take care of harabeoji for me will you?”

“Of course.”

Harabeoji is originally the Lee brothers’ grandpa, but Woohyun has known him as long as he’d known the brothers and the old man has taken a liking of Woohyun; he even considers Woohyun as his grandchildren too. It’s only this morning they had received call informing them that their harabeoji has been admitted to the hospital. It’s quite serious so Sungyeol and Sungjong don’t have a choice but to check on him, leaving Woohyun to do the set-up for the event alone.

“I will update you on his condition later.”

“Make sure you do that.”

“Only if you do yours too.”

Woohyun nods. He cranes his head to look for Sungjong. The youngest has just finished loading the last box of the cookies in the van.

“Sungjong, what’s the name of the hall the event is going to be placed at?”

Sungjong checks into his pocket-notebook. “It’s Dream Gallery Hall at Woollim Ent.”

“Okay thanks.”

**[Sunggyu]**

The event is held at Dream gallery. Sunggyu and Hoya have arrived an hour earlier before the schedule start as per the photographer duos’ request. They’ve wanted to show their work to Sunggyu and Hoya first.

Sunggyu and Hoya walk to the entrance and are permitted immediate access to the gallery after showing their VIP pass to the guards. They both are dressed in formal attires: Hoya is dressed in all-black tuxedo meanwhile Sunggyu is in a white tuxedo paired with black pants. His hair is styled upwards exposing his forehead because Hoya says he looks good with the style.

The interior design of the hall is stunning as to say. It’s astonishing and glamorous. The black curtains (must have been Myungsoo’s pick) Sunggyu notices, laces well with the pearl white and gold wall. The colour combinations are candy to the eyes. There's a chandelier hanging in the middle of the gallery, dimly lighting the hall golden; a just right amount to set in the mood. The photos on the wall are arranged by category and each has dim white light installed underneath, to accentuate the photos more.

Even though Dongwoo and Myungsoo are working together, both are specialised in different kind of themes, in which Myungsoo being specialised in nature and cities panorama while Dongwoo is more to wildlife or people in general.

Sunggyu can vouch for sure that their works worth thousands each.

The gallery hall is connected to the open space at the back wherein the launching ceremony would take place. Sunggyu and Hoya is heading there next after they finished their tour in the hall while discussing about their favourite pick for the exhibition.

Being so into the discussion, Sunggyu hasn’t been paying attention to their surroundings and only realising too late that it’s not something he should have done when he trips over the bumpy area on the ground.

In those short _short_ last minute moment, he closes his eyes as he’s preparing himself to fall flat on his face with a loud yelp that he worries sounds a lot like a yelping puppy while cursing inwardly for his recklessness. (Also he blames Hoya for taking his attention away.)

But hey, what’s this smooth and warm soil? And why does it smell like chocolate and vanilla?

Sunggyu opens his eyes to their maximum capacity and looks down when he hears the grunt beneath him. Something, or rather _someone_, is the source for the noise.

Someone with a very lean chest clothed in a black button-up shirt;

Someone with a pair of luscious red lips and a scrunched pointy nose;

Someone with a pair of brown eyes that are staring deep into his.

And Sunggyu is too stunned to move.

* * *


	2. ++ 002 ++

* * *

**[Woohyun]**

Woohyun hates being disturbed too much in between work.

Wait no, scratch that.

Woohyun hates many things in life.

Sungyeol has said that no other man has that much hatred in a body as much as Woohyun.

Woohyun hates exercising in the morning, doing taxes, eating any bread crusts, apple pie (cinnamon especially), drinking orange juice in the morning and many more things he doesn’t bother to list in his head at the moment. 

He is going to add drinking 3 liters of water in his hate list now.

“Stupid drinking 3 liters per day rule ruining my damn life!” He curses to nobody but himself.

Woohyun has just finished unloading the last batch of cookies from the van when the urge to fucking pee comes again. He takes a deep breath as he puts them on the first table he has set up beforehand.

The event is going to start in less than an hour. Woohyun still has two whole tables of cupcakes and cookies to be set up.

And he has taken four toilet breaks since he started working. 

_Four_ for God’s sake!

The only thing that has managed to calm him down is that the cookies have been neatly stored in beautifully carved glass jars. There are five glass jars in total – each filled with different types of cookies: 30 pieces per jar, making it 150 pieces in total. The jars can be opened and sealed with a flick on the metal lock since it’s important to keep the cookies moist but crunchy for a long time.

At least it’s making Woohyun’s job easier.

Somehow, earlier today, Sungjong had managed to convince him to take – in Sungjong’s own word – a _healthy_ amount of water for our body.

“It’s important to stay hydrated hyung! Your skin has already dried up you know? You’d be looking like a prune once the event is done.” Sungjong had advised.

Oh yeah? What he doesn’t say is that Woohyun is going to fucking pee for every half hour all day.

He is going to make Sungjong pay for this tomorrow. 

But for now, he has to fucking pee.

That’s what he think of when he walks, no, hobbles to the hall direction because there’s no damn toilet out here and Woohyun can’t even walk in straight with his full bladder. Until he suddenly stumbles down onto the ground, and a pair of alluring small eyes are staring back into his.

Of course Woohyun has to take his hips in his hands instinctively.

Where else he supposed to put his hand then?

**[Sunggyu]**

“Oh man! Are you okay hyung?”

“Huh?” Sunggyu brings his head up to look at the younger man, breaking the eyes contact with the man underneath him.

Hoya proceeds to help him up and before he can do the same to the man his hyung had a collision with; the man pushes himself up from the ground, brushing the back of his pants.

“Oh my I’m so sorry we weren’t looking where we were heading.”

“It’s okay.” The man smiles politely. “It’s my fault too since I wasn’t looking either.”

The man has a charming smile. His jet black hair is styled back nicely to frame his small face. There’s a tint of blush decorating his cheeks. He seems to be just as ashamed as Sunggyu is.

Sunggyu finds it’s hard not to notice that.

“Are you sure you okay?” Hoya asks again. “Sunggyu hyung… don’t just stand there, say something.”

“Umm are you okay?” Sunggyu asks quietly after Hoya nabs him on the ribs. He’s still pretty much in dazed from the collision’s aftermath, more so when he’s been staring – studying the man.

“Yes, I _truly_ am fine. Don’t worry.” The man says the word ‘truly’ with enthusiast as if he really means it.

No one is that willing to talk to stranger.

Sunggyu thinks that it must have been a pretense, but then again what does he knows about this man. He barely knows him.

But then the smile on the black-haired man falters a little. “Sorry I hate to crash and run but I _really_ have to go now?” The man sounds apologetic, like he does truly want to stay to converse.

Sunggyu has to bite his inner cheeks; trying not to snort.

It is a pretense case then.

Hoya takes the hint. It seems like the man is busy. Or maybe he just wants to avoid any further awkward conversation too. “Oh, sorry that we’ve seem to take your time.”

“No problem.” The man bows his head slightly before he’s leaving: walking towards the way Sunggyu and Hoya had come from with urgent steps.

Sunggyu just watches him walk without uttering anything. The man walks funny.

“It’s not nice to stare you know hyung.”

Sunggyu turns around hastily that it’s a wonder he doesn’t get whiplash from his action. “What? I’m not staring!”

“I have eyes too hyung.”

“I really am not...” Sunggyu mumbles but it’s too late – Hoya doesn’t hear him.

He has walk away from Sunggyu, heading to their original destination before the incident: the sitting areas. That’s where Dongwoo and Myungsoo have told them to wait since there’s something last-minute preparation the photographers have to attend to.

Sunggyu follows his track with a pout.

"I wasn't staring."

**[Woohyun]**

“Wow this cupcake is delicious.”

Woohyun can’t stop smiling. Listening to praises for their bakery has always been his favourite, but being praised by those high-end people is sure boosting his pride.

“Thank you ma’am. Please take a card.”

Woohyun has been distributing out his card to almost everyone that has come to the table. This is why he likes being in high-end parties, a lot of rich people are there.

More rich people mean bigger business chances.

"Go on. Have a cupcake." 

* * *

**[Sunggyu]**

“Guys, I’m going to the toilet.”

“But hyung, the launching is about to start.”

“I’d be quick.”

“Okay hyung.”

Sunggyu waves goodbye to Myungsoo and the younger guy waves back. It’s their thing, the wave. It has been their unspoken tradition: to wave goodbye when one of them is going far, or sometimes, just for the sake of humour, when one of them is going to the toilet. Hoya would roll his eyes because; (“you’re only going to the toilet, not war!”) so Sunggyu and Myungsoo keep on doing it just to irk him. And Dongwoo would just laugh, because he laughs at everything.

“Come quick we won’t start the launching without you!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Sunggyu shouts.

“We’re not!” Myungsoo shouts back.

They don’t wait for him. Or at least the organizers don’t. The launching has started.

And Sunggyu doesn’t come quick, because he met the bastard Ahn Junho in the restroom.

Ahn Junho, who doesn’t even look like he’s broken. 

Ahn Junho looks fine. He looks… good.

And all Sunggyu can feel is pain.

All he feels is immense pain.

So Sunggyu runs.

He runs and runs.

And he ends up at the refreshments table, where it’s that man, the one with the 1000-watt-smile is.

“Have a cookie.” He offers.

But Sunggyu doesn’t want a cookie.

He doesn’t want to be here at all.

Sunggyu just wants to hide and cry.

Until he feels numb and can’t cry anymore.

* * *

**[Woohyun]**

“Have a cookie.”

He offers to a man who suddenly comes closer to the table he’s at. He doesn’t recognize him at first, but then the man turns, showing off his teary eyes to Woohyun. It’s the same man he’s stumbled across during his fifth bathroom break earlier; the one with the small alluring eyes.

“I’m sorry but can I hide here? I won’t disturb your work.” The man says with brittle voice he tries to pass as normal voice.

Woohyun can’t help the surprised note in his voice but he croaks out. “Sure.”

(What else can he say then? No?)

The man says his gratitude and takes a seat next to Woohyun, behind the tall glass cookie jar, before he starts to stifle his cries but failed to do so after a moment.

Woohyun freezes in his own chair. He wonders why the guy is crying in the party when the launching has just begun but he doesn’t voice his concern out. What’s worse is – why is he crying next to Woohyun? He’s trying to run a business here. Now everyone is going to talk about a crying guy on the refreshment tables.

A crying guy is bad business marketing.

Woohyun must have been thinking it aloud with his face because the guy suddenly says next, “I’m sorry I just need a moment. I’ll be going soon.”

Woohyun should have just say yes or just nod and never speak again to the crying guy but he’s making a grave mistake of staring into the sad eyes, and those quivering lips – because the guy looks just like a kicked puppy.

For the first time in his life, Woohyun wishes he could say he hated puppy. But alas:

Nam Woohyun loves puppy.

(He hates himself instead.)

Woohyun picks a chocolate cookie from one of the jar while inwardly cursing himself for being weak to puppy, or in this case – to a person who resembles a puppy.

“Here, have a cookie.”

The guy looks up, staring at Woohyun with his red eyes, still very teary, as if he’s questioning Woohyun’s sudden act.

Woohyun almost says, ‘_yeah me too buddy I’m questioning myself too_’ but then he just clears his throat and averts his eyes away, shoving the cookie to the puppy-guy direction with more vigour.

“Take it. It supposed to help with sadness.”

It takes a certain while but the puppy-guy takes it, muttering thank you.

They sit together in dull silence for a while. Well not really, but to Woohyun, it’s just like that.

Dull silence: just the sound of cookie being munched.

Nyam. Nyam. Nyam.

The puppy-guy has a cute munching sound. Maybe he’s more like a cat-guy.

Then it turns into a complete dull silence, since the guy has done eating.

It’s very awkward.

“Um can I have another?”

Woohyun turns his head with a start. The puppy-guy is looking at him, then at the cookies jars with expectant eyes. Woohyun tries not to overreact at the sudden request but his smile comes out anyway.

“Sure.”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure.”

The puppy-guy doesn’t get to eating straight away, but rather just staring at the cookie in his hand.

It makes Woohyun uncomfortable.

“Do you think I’m pitiful?” He suddenly asks.

“W-What?” Woohyun stammers. He doesn’t expect that. And how is he supposed to answer that? He barely knows puppy-guy.

The puppy-guy doesn’t repeat his question but he says, “I guess I am.” Another tear flows down his face. He doesn’t wipe it, letting it pooling down at his chin. Then he starts to cry again, heavily that he even hiccupping when he tries to stifle them down.

Woohyun doesn’t know what to do. He’s not good with feeling sympathy, let alone empathy. Hell, he’s not even good with his own feeling. How the hell is he supposed to coax this guy? He prays to the God to send for any people, to help him out of this. ‘_Please save me. Please please please. I’ll be good._’

No one comes to save him;

And the puppy-guy doesn’t ask Woohyun any more questions;

He doesn’t eat his cookie;

He doesn’t stop crying too.

It’s so awkward Woohyun would rather drink another 3 liters water to compensate this situation.

It’s so awkward so Woohyun moves… closer to the puppy-guy. He just wants him to stop crying.

Woohyun thinks of what Sungyeol would have done in the same given situation. He thinks of that time when he was 16-year-old: his cat just died and he didn’t cry because men weren’t supposed to cry, but then Sungyeol hugged him while whispering, “It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be sad. We’re all humans anyway. You aren’t pitiful. You’re just sad. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.”

That’s exactly what he has done to the puppy-guy.

* * *


	3. ++ 003 ++

* * *

**[Sunggyu]**

Who says crying extenuate your pain? Because in Sunggyu’s experience, crying is only _adding_ to his pain: his head, his eyes, and his heart – they all hurt. Sunggyu hates crying.

He wishes he knew how to stop.

When Sunggyu asked him – the refreshment-table-guy, whether he find him pitiful, Sunggyu has never thought that the stranger would hug him and whisper in his ear in a low, soothing tone; (“It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be sad. We’re all humans anyway. You aren’t pitiful. You’re just sad. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.”) Which, in return, has just made Sunggyu to burst into more tears. He doesn’t want to keep on crying but somehow the man’s words just clawing straight into his chest and deep into his heart. No one has told him to cry to his heart content before. Not even his friends.

And now the man is patting and drawing comforting circles on his back, albeit hesitantly. 

His cries subside eventually. Not because of the comfort words or the soothing touches, but more because he’s getting exhausted; tired of crying.

The man gives him a handkerchief and Sunggyu blows his nose on those. He is thankful everyone is too caught up with the launching ceremony that no one has come to the table to have snacks, because he’s sure no one would find him attractive with tears down his face and snots down his nose.

Sunggyu moves, shifting in his seat and the man who’s holding him takes the hint. He releases his hold and moves aside a bit, giving Sunggyu some space.

They sit in silence like that for a moment, with Sunggyu just wiping his excess tears and runny nose with the handkerchief and the man stills next to him. He doesn’t say something to apprehend the situation and neither does Sunggyu. He’s thankful for that as well.

“Thank you.” Sunggyu mutters after what feels like too long without conversation going in between. Not that he has to. It’s not like he’s going to meet him again after this. But Sunggyu doesn’t want to look like an ass after well, pretty much behaves like one.

He means, no one goes around to some stranger and cries in their arms. Only Kim Pathetic Sunggyu does that.

The man doesn’t say anything at first, because he’s looking at Sunggyu like he’s asking for a permission to talk. Sunggyu doesn’t know what kind of answer he’s actually seeking for; A nod? A yes? But Sunggyu gives him one anyway.

At least he thinks he did.

“You can talk now.” Sunggyu says.

And the man does.

“You okay?”

Sunggyu nods. “I think.”

“You think or you know?”

That makes Sunggyu mummed again for a second.

“I know.”

It’s a lie because Sunggyu doesn’t know what to think sometimes. And to think of whether he know or think his current thought is a burden to him. His head is still hurting and Sunggyu doesn’t want to do any thinking until the pain’s gone. But he doesn’t want to tell that to some stranger. It’s bad enough he cried in front of him; he doesn’t want to overshare his life.

It looks like his answer doesn’t satisfy the man at all because then he asks, “What’s your name?”

Sunggyu looks at him; confused with the choice of question because it’s an odd question to throw in between, considering the situation they’re in, but then he sees him holding up a piping bag before putting it down again. The man turns to Sunggyu, “Chocolate or vanilla?” he asks again.

At first Sunggyu thinks that the man is referring to the filling flavour, but then his eyes fall down on the display in front of the black-haired man: the cupcakes. The fluffy goodies were arranged on trays that each has 4 levels plate from large to small in ascending order. The cupcakes were decorated with simple white and black frosting with sprinkles of gold beads on top. They are beautiful.

“Wait, I think it’s better to be both.”

Sunggyu blinks. What’s better to be both?

The man picks up the piping bag again, the one that has white filling in before he picks up a black-frosting cupcake in another. “What is it your name again?”

“Sunggyu.” He croaks out an answer, still is perplexed with the man’s action.

The man smiles, “Nice to meet you Sunggyu-ssi.”

He says it like he means it.

It makes Sunggyu afraid.

“What’s yours?” Sunggyu asks him back.

The man looks up from the cupcake in his left hand, quirking up his eyebrow in question at Sunggyu.

“Your name,” Sunggyu says, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Woohyun.”

Sunggyu doesn’t say ‘nice to meet you’ back because he doesn’t know whether it’s nice or not; because it’s too early to tell. Sunggyu has always been a bit sceptical. He doesn’t trust people much but when he does, he’ll love them a bit excessively.

That’s how he got his heart broken by Ahn Junho.

**[Woohyun]**

Woohyun doesn’t look like he minds it when Sunggyu doesn’t say the common phrase people say to each other when they meet new people: the ‘_nice to meet you_’ thing. Instead, he goes back to piping something on the cupcake, and when he’s done with it, he takes another one. This time, it’s the white frosting cupcake. Woohyun changes his white chocolate filling-piping bag for the dark chocolate one.

He can feel Sunggyu is staring a bullet through his skull but he can’t afford himself to turn and explain himself yet. He doesn’t know why he is so invested with the guy, but he wants to do something nice for him; he looks like he needs one.

A person won’t just cry in stranger’s arms for no reason. 

Maybe it’s just his nature as a baker to make people happy when they eat his sweets. He can’t help it that he pitied Sunggyu. Not because that he seems to have a problem but because he doesn’t have a friend to cry on when he needs one.

The piping something on the cupcake routine goes on repeat with Woohyun switching between every other cupcake until he’s done piping them all. He takes out a box and fills the piped cupcakes in but leaves one out. The last one is to be eaten on the go.

The smile that Woohyun has been putting on tonight has always looking business-like. But now he looks and smiles at Sunggyu like he’s looking at a friend, and not just a mere customer.

People say that men befriend each other like they breathe air or like they drink water. But how do you befriend a stranger that has been crying in your arms?

Through cupcakes obviously.

“Here you go.” He pushes the box to Sunggyu’s direction.

The visitors have already started to leave the sitting area since the launching ceremony is done by now. They would come to the refreshment tables sooner or later and Woohyun has a hunch that Sunggyu would be leaving by then.

“What’s this?” 

“A gift.”

“I can see that but why?”

“What do you mean by why? It’s a gift; it doesn’t need a reason.”

“But friends give each other gift. Not strangers.”

“Do you see me as a stranger?”

“Do you see me as a friend?”

“Yes.”

“But you don’t even know me.”

“Oh but I do. Your name is Sunggyu.”

“That’s a vague argument.”

“It’s not an argument. It’s an excuse.” 

“To give me gift?”

“To be your friend.”

Sunggyu smiles a lopsided-smile. “You’re weird.”

“That’s what I am.” Woohyun says. “Have a cupcake.”

Sunggyu receives it with his unoccupied hand. “Why isn’t this in the box?”

“You need to eat that right away.”

“Need?”

Well, it supposed to make you happy.”

“What? A cupcake?”

“No. Eating.”

Sunggyu laughs at that. He turns the cupcake to see what’s written on.

“Thanks Woohyun-ssi.” He says.

He meant the message.

Woohyun thinks it’s for the cupcakes, so he smiles too.

“My pleasure Sunggyu-ssi.”

**[Sunggyu]**

Indeed it is.

Sunggyu doesn’t eat the cupcake on his hand straight away. He keeps on holding it until his friends find him again. They ask him where he had been and why didn’t he answer their calls.

Sunggyu tells them the truth.

“I met a _friend_.”

“A friend? But you don’t have any other than us.”

“He’s a unique one.”

“Hyung have you met–?”

“Junho? I did.”

Myungsoo pulls him into a hug. “I’m sorry hyung we didn’t see that his name was on the list. He was someone’s plus-one.”

_Someone’s _plus-one. Someone that isn’t Sunggyu.

“It’s okay Myungie.”

It’s not okay but the cupcake that’s on his hand stares back at him; **Smile **it says.

So Sunggyu does. Even if it hurts, he does. He wants to keep on smiling, so that he can live again.

The cupcakes in the box have a message each:

**Sunggyu,**

**The best **

**Way to **

**Live is **

**To smile**

**:)**

Sunggyu’s favourite is the one with his name on.

**[Woohyun]**

[Harabeoji is fine now.]

[He’ll be in ICU for a certain time but he’s passed the danger stage.]

[How’s the event?]

[The event has been great.]

[You tired buddy?]

[A bit but don’t worry I’ll manage.]

[I’m not.]

[Just kidding. Be safe I’ll see you tomorrow.]

[Why won’t I be safe?]

[Stop worrying about me so much Yeollie.]

[Let me think…]

[The answer is never.]

[I will always haunt you and your life.]

[You’ll never be safe from me.]

[I’m blocking you.]

[What?]

[Don’t block me!]

[I’m your bestfriend. You’re supposed to **love** me.]

[Namu?]

[Buddy?]

[I can’t believe you’re actually blocking me.]

[I’m blocking you now!]

[I didn’t block you shithead. I was in the toilet.]

[Also I met someone tonight.]

[Someone?]

[Is she your new love interest?]

[Which of course will burst into flame like your any other before.]

[But that being said, go for it buddy!]

[And now I’m blocking you for real.]

* * *

[Hyung please unblock Sungyeol hyung.]

[Tell him I said no.]

[He’s been bawling in the hospital.]

[Let him bawl.]

[See if I care.]

[He said he’s going to crash the event if you didn’t.]

[Ugh hyung please unblock him. He’s already in the car rn.]

[Ugh fine.]

* * *

[You are a little shit.]

[I knew you didn’t block me. You love me so much to do that.]

[I don’t love you _enough_ to do that.]

[And about earlier, she is a he.]

[And he’s not a love interest.]

[Just someone I met at the event.]

[Ohh interesting!!]

[That’s a new one.]

[I say go for it budbud.]

[I hate you Lee Sungyeol.]

[I love you too Nam Woohyun.]

**[Sunggyu]**

Sunggyu hasn’t eaten any of the cupcakes in the box.

After two days of being kept in the refrigerator, Sunggyu decides that it’s already too long span of days to let them go untouched. He opens the box of cupcakes in wary, as if the words that Woohyun had written on the cupcakes hasn’t been real just because Sunggyu avoids looking at them.

They are still there. The words:

**Sunggyu, the best way to live is to smile :) **

He doesn’t believe it.

It’s not that Sunggyu has lost himself after the broke up, he has been losing himself for as long time as he can remember. In fact, he doesn’t remember if there was a time that he had been happy.

Genuine, real, sincerely happy.

Does Woohyun know? Has he found it? The true meaning of happiness? If he does, was it as simple as he had written on the cupcakes? That all Sunggyu has to do to live, is too smile? Can Woohyun understand his pain? Does he have answer for everything?

(“_Do you see me as a friend?_”)

(“_Yes._”)

Was it that easy to him?

There’s an address printed on the box, an address to a bakery.

Sunggyu wants to know whether Woohyun knows.

He has to know.

* * *


End file.
